Malachi Toney had a record-setting debut in 2025, helping Miami reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. The sophomore phenom is now coming back with renewed energy for another big season in 2026.
Why Miami’s Malachi Toney Earned High Praise from Cooper Barkate
Transfer wide receiver Cooper Barkate didn’t hold back when discussing Toney on Tuesday.
“He’s by far the hardest working player I’ve ever seen,” Barkate said. “Especially at that young an age to come in. Especially after the season he just had, it looked easy for him. So I’m sure, in his mind, he could have been very complacent about that. And that’s not at all what I’ve seen coming in.”
Barkate finished the 2025 season catching 72 passes for 1,106 yards and 7 touchdowns. He ranked No. 20 in the PFSN College Football WR Impact Metric with a score of 81.4, and his 15.36 yards per catch placed him 10th among receivers with at least 1,000 yards.
Miami’s wide receiver room is deep, featuring multiple potential starters, including transfers Vandrevius Jacobs (South Carolina) and Cam Vaughn (West Virginia), as well as freshmen Vance Spafford, Somourian Wingo, Milan Parris, and Tyran Evans. However, Barkate and Toney are expected to lead the passing game.
When asked what impressed him most about Toney, Barkate mentioned several things.
“Coming in early, after practice, attention to detail in the film rooms and meetings. He’s a real leader for the team.”
Barkate wasn’t exaggerating, as this aligns with what head coach Mario Cristobal noted about Toney.
“His processes were that of a mature player, which is what separated him from the rest,” Cristobal said about Toney, via the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He was in here at 5:00 a.m. catching on the Jugs machine, getting in there watching extra film.
“But I thought the part that stood out was that he was making big-time plays against really good players, and that wasn’t out there yet. … He was making a lot of big-time plays against really good players, and there was no slowing down. There was no sign of contentment. There was just a hungry, driven dude that, at all costs, wants to be in that lineup come Snap 1.”
Toney set Miami single-season records with 109 catches and 1,211 receiving yards in 2025, recording at least 5 catches in 14 of 16 games. His 10 receiving touchdowns also set a freshman record, and he finished as the No. 2 wide receiver in the PFSN College Football WR Impact Metric with an 86 score. He added 25 catches for 241 yards and 3 touchdowns in 4 College Football Playoff games.
Toney now aims to “be the best version” of himself for Miami in his sophomore season. He also wants to continue developing and leading the younger players on the Hurricanes’ roster.
